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Activision Announces Call of Duty Elite

Call of Duty Elite is the name of the new Facebook-like online gaming community Activision is developing for its mega FPS, and members will not only be able to connect with friends and find tournaments to enter, they'll also have the option to pay a monthly fee for some premium goodies.

Rumors about Elite have been all over the map since images of the service's logo leaked last month. Activision ended that speculation today, fully detailing the online service it describes as a "key differentiator" in the highly competitive FPS market.

"The average Call of Duty player spends 58 minutes per day playing multiplayer," Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said in a statement. "That is more than the average Facebook user spends per day on Facebook. And yet, right now, there are very few tools to unite and super charge that social community."

"Whether it's allowing you to connect with your friends, or people of a similar skill level, people who live in your city, people who share your favorite passions, join competitive clans or social groups, or upload, view and comment on the incredible mass of player-generated content, or watch and comment on exclusive created content, Call of Duty Elite will give people more ways to connect with fellow players than ever before. Elite will also allow players of every level to improve their game with an intuitive suite of tools, and compete in tournaments for both real and virtual prizes."

The rundown from Activision on Elite's key features:

Connect: Call of Duty Elite gives players unprecedented control over their multiplayer experience, transforming it into a true social network. Players can compete against friends, players of similar skill levels and players with similar interests, join groups, join clans, and play in organized tournaments. They can also track the performance, progress and activity of their entire network, both in the game itself, as well as through mobile and web interfaces. Elite will be an always-on way for players to connect with the Call of Duty community.

Compete: Call of Duty Elite establishes the most exciting, competitive environment in a multiplayer game. Players will have available a constant stream of events and competitions, tiered to group them with those with similar abilities. Both in-game and real-world prizes will be rewarded to all skill levels.

Improve: Call of Duty Elite is like having a personal online coach. It provides players with a dynamic strategy guide that tracks their statistics and performances down to the most minute details. It can show gamers how they stack up against their friends or others in the community. Tools and information are provided so players can learn and up their game.

Activision said it plans to launch Elite alongside Modern Warfare 3 on November 8, and the online service will also be available via consoles and mobile devices. The publisher did not fully detail which features will be free and which will fall into the "premium" category. Activision did not announce how much the premium fee will be, but it did say it will be "less than the cost of any comparable online entertainment service currently in the market."

Sharkey says: Tough to provide an opinion on Elite without getting a look at the service, but I'm sure stat-crazed CoD fans will be thrilled. The question now is, how much will the premium service be and what will it offer? If I had to guess, I'd say it's linked to the "Improve" section above and the tools and info provided so players can "up their game." Thoughts?